Dry skin?

[Cowlover]

Also I have another question Elana. How often do you feed the egg mixture? Would you mind explaining to me the perfect zebra finch diet? I really want to help them be their best. If not, can you recommend me to a good website/ page about diet and nutrition please? Thank you

[lovezebs]

Cowlover

I usually feed eggs twice a week, unless they're breeding, or feeding babies (then its every day, sometimes twice a day as needed).

The perfect Zebra finch diet, is what Zebra finches eat in the wild, lol.

However, seeing as we can't really do that, we do the best that we can with what we have

Now, I can't say that what I feed is "perfect", but I can tell you what I do feed all the kids, if that will be helpful.

I usually buy very large bags 50 or 60 pounds of Finch seed mix and Canary seed mix , and mix them together equally. To this mix I add smaller bags of Budgie seed mix, German millet, oats n' groats and some other stuff that wouldn't be imporatnt if you don't have larger birds like Javas.

This is mixed together well, and goes into plastic gallon buckets with tight lids. It can be stored in the deep freeze for freshness, but I don't have a deep freeze, so... For me, going through as much seed as I do, it stays fresh as is.

Spray Millet, is offered quite often. I tie it to the side of the flight, or hang a few sprays right from the roof of the flight, so that they have to fly to it and do some acrobatics to eat this favorite treat.

I think I already mentioned the egg food recipe and how often I feed it. Also the variety of greens, veggies and fruit that is offered usually every day or second day.

I also make my own grit mix, which all the birds enjoy. I buy Bird Grit, Oyster Shell Grit, Bird Charcoal, Cuttle Bone, Mineral Block, Iodine Block and Bird Clay Mix. Also added to this, are crushed egg shells (which all the birds love and need).

I pour the grit, charcoal, egg shells, and clay mix into a large bowl or bucket, I grate the cuttle bone (only the soft part), mineral block and iodine block on top of it and mix it all together well.

Now this can be served in a seed cup, spread on the floor, or added to a bird toy box for them to pick and choose what they need.

Aside from that, I add packets of dry Bird Herb mix, either to their eggs, or just serve as is. This is something new, and they seem to enjoy it.

I do add a water multi Vitamine to drinking water twice a week, and that's pretty much it .

A bird toy box or foraging box (in case you're wondering) Is a sizable tupperwear container.
Into this box, you can add some hay, some spray millet bits, alfalfa, some bird grit mix, a few bigger pieces of egg shell, some sticks, wild grass seed heads, some herb salad, mealworms (if your birds are interested), some stones, bits of paper, etc. Most burds love this, and it keeps them busy for hours.

https://www.animalwised.com/diet-of-the ... h-106.html

Here's a link which you may find interesting.

[Cowlover]

Thank you so much for your time! I really appreciate it. I will have to start switching my birds to this diet because it's much better than what they have now. So far, Olive feathers haven't been improving, but I will update you on that when they do. Can I see a picture of the foraging box please? Thank you so much!!!!! -Cowlover

[lovezebs]

Cowlover

I don't have any great pictures of a foraging box, but here are two to give you an idea...

[Cowlover]

Thank you!

[Cowlover]

Hello again Elana! It has been about two weeks that I have been giving Olive his "treatment". He has a humidifier next to his cage, he has been getting more baths, and has been eating egg food. Now, I will say that he is not getting better, however he isn't getting worse either. (Btw thank you for the egg food recommendation, my birds are hooked!) I put mealworms, veggies, some Ecotrition skin and plumage liquid supplement, eggs and millet in my egg food. It's not olives favorite but he does eat a little bit. I have taken a really close look at his spots and they seem to be red and inflamed. He also seems to peck at them a lot like they itch. I will be keeping him on this treatment to see if he just needs more time. If you have any other recommendations to make him better please contact me. Thank you for everything!

[Cowlover]

I tried taking pictures but he's not cooperating tonight. Also you can only really see his spots after he takes a bath, other than that he keeps them covered up with his neck feathers